Salisbury's selectmen are withholding an offer to the man they selected for police chief because he has been charged with simple assault.

On July 23, the town made a formal offer to Frank Jones, 49, of Bow to take over the part-time chief's position. The job has been empty since Kevin Wyman left in January for a full-time position as a sergeant in Boscawen. Jones accepted the offer, which would pay $18 per hour for up to 32 hours per week, according to Mike Dipre, chairman of the selectmen. Jones has not been sworn in.

One day after the town's offer, Jones was arrested by the Meredith Police Department and charged with simple assault against his wife.

"At this point, the whole thing is in limbo," Dipre said.

According to a police call log, Priscilla Jones's son called the police about 6 p.m. last Thursday to say Frank Jones had grabbed her and wouldn't let her leave the trailer in which they were staying. Frank Jones could not be reached yesterday. It was unclear whether the caller, listed only as Steven, was Frank Jones's son or stepson.

According to the log, the caller said "that Jones would 'toss his weight' since he is a police officer."

Jones was released on personal recognizance bail after his arrest. He is scheduled to appear in Laconia District Court on Sept. 3. Meredith Chief Kevin Morrow said the department plans to file a complaint in court saying Jones grabbed his wife's arm.

Jones is a part-time officer with the Belknap County Sheriff's Department, where he works on an as-needed basis during events like Bike Week, said Sheriff Craig Wiggin. Wiggin said Jones is on administrative leave from that position until the assault charge is resolved.

Jones recently resigned as a part-time patrol officer with the Litchfield Police Department. He has also been an adjunct professor of criminal justice at New Hampshire Technical Institute.

The Salisbury Police Department is tiny, consisting of the chief and sometimes a second part-time officer.

The selectmen had help from the Merrimack County Sheriff's Department with the search for a new chief. David Croft, a former Boscawen police chief who is now with the county adult diversion program, sat on the search committee. He said Jones was not a candidate before the committee.

Croft said the committee interviewed four people and recommended that the selectmen hire Dan Ball, who works full time for Boscawen.

Ball used to work part time for Salisbury but resigned, effective yesterday, he said. At the time of his resignation, Ball was Salisbury's only officer.

Croft, who hired Ball to work for Boscawen, said he has seen Ball's work on recent homicide cases in Franklin and Boscawen.

"He's a very professional, intelligent young man who's going to go far in law enforcement," he said.

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